The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications and ore particularly to a power source selection module.
Telecommunication networks carry various types of information, e.g., voice, data, or video, between user equipment at diverse locations. A typical telecommunications network includes many components or modules that work together to make a connection between user equipment. For example, a telecommunications network typically includes terminals, access equipment, transport media, switches and other conventional equipment used to create connections for users.
A wide variety of transport media are used in telecommunications networks. Some of these transport media include fiber optic cables, conventional twisted pair lines, coaxial cables, microwave links and infrared links. Access equipment such as service units at a subscriber""s location are often designed to receive information over one of the transport media. Further, in some systems, power is provided to components of the access equipment over the transport media. In other systems, power is provided to the access equipment via power at the subscriber""s location or battery power. A service technician who travels to a user""s location typically accomplishes installation of access equipment. The technician must be equipped to work with the variety of systems that exist from location to location in the network.
Service providers are burdened with stocking and in some instances manufacturing as well as stocking components for their access equipment designed for each transport medium. In addition, service personnel installing the components for the access equipment are required to have readily available components for the access equipment that are designed for use with each transport medium.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for multimode components for access equipment that works with a variety of transport media in telecommunications systems.
The above mentioned problems with interfacing with multiple transmission media in telecommunications systems and other problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. A power selection switch is provided which allows power input from more than one power source and selection between those power sources.
In one embodiment, a sliding power switch is provided. A sliding power switch has been described. The switch includes a power interface module having a first power port, a second power port and a third power port. The switch also includes a shunt adapted to engage with the power interface module in a first position so as to provide a first electrical path from one of the first, second, and third power ports to another one of the first, second, and third power ports and a second position so as to provide a second electrical path from one of the first, second, and third power ports to another of the first, second, and third power ports. The switch further includes a shunt retainer coupled to the shunt and adapted to aid in placing and removing the shunt from the first and second positions and a slide actuator adapted to engage with and enable the shunt retainer to slide from the first position to the second position.